Nurses, both inexperienced and experienced, can find many of these openings when they browse online job sources like NursingCrossing.com. This is a central listing of virtually all the nursing positions that are available, complete with the necessary contact information, educational requirements, and job duties. By using this type of resource, nurses can find out a lot of necessary details before they apply for a position. You can even download your resume and send it to those employers who are posting registered nurse jobs for which you are qualified. This means that you save a lot of time and energy in your job search, you gain valuable information about different nursing jobs, and you can give the “new job jitters” a rest.
Here are our top 10 tips to help you get the nursing job that you want:
1. Take stock of yourself and determine exactly what your best traits are. What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? Would you do better in a faster-paced environment like an ER or somewhere slower like a doctor’s office? Can you handle the intensity of an ICU or hospice setting? Sometimes you can certainly gain some of the necessary skills and improve on personal job weaknesses, but for a beginner in this area, it may be better to start with a job that fits your personality and current abilities.
2. Always determine what it is that you most need in a nursing position. What kind of hours do you prefer? Eight-hour shifts or 12-hour shifts? Are you going to really need any job-related benefits? If benefits are not a priority, maybe a per diem position would be best. Ask yourself if you would really be willing to travel or relocate for a position. Knowing what you really want from a job will make it much easier to narrow down your nursing job search. Make a list with “must have,” “would like,” and “no way” columns.
3. You should always do a little research about the positions that sound interesting. A lot of job information and job descriptions can be found online at NursingCrossing. You can find out a great deal about positions in nursing by going online and searching listings in your community. You can learn not only what registered nursing jobs are available but also what each position is all about. Are you sure that you really know how ICU or ER nursing is different from medical-surgical nursing? Do you understand the kind of patient population that you’d be dealing with? All of these are important to understand so that you can get the job that’s best suited for you.
4. Travel beyond the newspaper classified jobs to find the best positions. This is when having a network of friends and associates comes in handy. Ask around and you might find out about jobs you may not find listed in the ads, or you might be able to apply for a position before an ad for it is placed. Make phone calls and ask recruiters or office personnel if they anticipate any positions becoming available in the future. Look in nursing journals and check online job postings at NursingCrossing and similar sites.
5. If you request to shadow a nurse for a few hours or a day, this will give you insight into the typical job duties. Many institutions will allow shadowing for prospective employees. If you are unsure what area you want to go into, ask to shadow employees in various nursing positions. Spend a few hours following a nurse who is doing the duties that are involved in the position you’re interested in. This will help you gain a wealth of information you would never get from a conversation with an interviewer or the nurse herself. You’ll also be able to let the nurse manager see your interest. This may give you an edge over some other applicants when it is time for them to hire someone.
6. Spend some quality time talking with nurses who work, or who have worked, in areas that are of interest to you. Try to discover what some of them enjoy about their nursing work and what they dislike. Find out how they feel about their job and the company, hospital, or office. Talking to the employees is also at the top of the list of things you “must do” to find your perfect job.
7. Always remember that you should begin any interview process with a respectful and professional attitude and manner. That means that when you fill out an application, sloppiness in not an option. If you don’t currently have a CV or a resume, then you really should get one. Just because there’s a nursing shortage doesn’t mean the job is going to be handed to you. Nursing is a profession with professional standards and expectations. In any contact with a prospective employer, you should always be organized, courteous, and professional. This will impress your interviewers, and it will give you an advantage. Clean and neat dress and a respectful manner will be remembered.
8. Make a real effort to prepare your mind and your nerves for any upcoming interview. If you’ve done all of the above steps, you are already pretty prepared, but it’s always a good idea to go over standard interview questions. This way, you will help yourself relax, and you’ll know how to answer most potential questions. There may be nursing questions involved, so it might help to review some nursing books or journals.
9. A business outfit will really be your best choice for interview clothing; you want to convey a professional attitude and manner. Make sure that you have a small notepad, your list of references, your resume, your nursing license, your ID, and a smile.
10. Take a deep breath and try to relax when you are called in for the actual interview. This is a lot easier to say than to do, but nurses have to appear confident and professional. This is what the interviewer is going to be looking for when they talk with you, but they also understand that some people are nervous in certain social settings, and that an interview is often one of them. If you have really done your research, you know what you want and what you don’t want, and now all you have to do is let your future employer see your smile, attitude, intelligence, and enthusiasm for the job.
